User submitted reviews
Review by THarms
I am using this bag on a Salsa Vaya. It's a very well made bag and I like it. The material is solid and the zipper is industrial quality and I'm sure it's waterproof although I have not ridden in the rain with it to test it yet. The zipper is stiff at the start but it does loosen up as you use it. The straps that go over the top tube to fasten the bag to the frame are a little long so they extend down past the velcro on the side of the bag by about 2-3 " and that extended part rolled outward and can hit my leg as I pedal. It was a little annoying but I kind of fixed it on the road by pulling the strap over the top tube at a forward angle across the velcro so the extended part is in front of my leg. Not a perfect solution, but worked fine during my tour. I think a better long term fix is to get some sticky velcro and put it lower on the bag and maybe towards the bottom and then attach the extended portion of the strap to that velcro to keep it out of the way. I'm pretty sure this will work. Another fix would be to cut the portion of the strap that extends past the velcro, but I don't really want to cut it.
The bag is pretty big and stores a lot. I use it for tools, snacks, bags of carbo powder, electrical charging cords and adapters, money, etc. I landed on this bag after buying a full frame bag with the plan of putting a water bladder in the top and stuff in the bottom, but I could not find a frame bag that fit nicely on my frame, and the ones I did find didn't have much room for stuff after putting a bladder in the top. With this Ortlieb bag in place, I can fit a 32oz nalgene on the downtube and 24 oz water bottle on the seat tube, and a 24 oz water bottle under the downtube. Plenty of space for water and stuff. With this bag in the triangle, it's hard to get the water bottles of their cage, so I drilled a hole in the cap of the nalgene bottle just the size of a hydration bladder tube and pushed the tube through the cap to the bottom of the nalgene and extended it to my handle bars (held in place with rubber band). It worked perfectly. Now I can drink from a hydration tube without taking the bottle out of the cage.
I would buy this again.
Review by wahoolinh
I picked up this back to finish off a bikepacking build and could not be happier with my full set of Ortlieb packs. I hesitated on the frame mounted pack due to my top tube cable routing and concerns with scratching my vintage steel frame. However, how the bag mounts sort of cradles the bag around the top tube so that the straps go right over the cables without any touching. The bag is sort of concave along the top to mold around the tube similar to the ends. The result is everything stays in place really well as long as the dimensions match your bike. Bag itself also seems very durable yet lightweight like all Ortlieb products.
Review by Gravel Slayer
Very good frame bag that sits out of the way and doesn�t interfere with pedaling, water bottles or strava KOM�s. Only thing that would make it better would be a way to divide the space inside and line it with a bright fabric.. Bonus of being able to wash the bike with bag still on and everything stays dry inside!
Review by RADUS
I just rode my touring bike from Seattle, Washington to Tillamook, Oregon � 409 miles. I was carrying Ortlieb panniers on the rear and Arkell panniers on the front. But there is a disadvantage in not having items readily at hand such as snack foods, sunscreen lotion, money and ID, and a charging cord. This was all handled brilliantly by the Ortlieb top tube frame pack. It holds a ton of loose items, is waterproof, easily accessible, and still allows you easy access to both your water bottles. It's well worth the money and I only wish I had purchased it sooner when I rode from Santa Monica, California to Bar Harbor, Maine.
Review by willard10s
I use this bag on my 2021 Diverge Expert and it is a perfect fit much like the advert photo. I bring it on rides that tend to be event or overnight based, where having some extra stuff makes sense. Biggest use is daily on Ragbrai, it is perfect. Wallet, food, tube, portable power, rain jacket, and more..... Allows me to remove my saddlebag altogether. It doesn't have to be full to remain out of the way.
The zipper is snug when opening, but it is a waterproof secure design. The profile is narrow and the reason I picked this bag over others that had straps or flaps sticking out. I've got no patience for stuff rubbing my legs while riding. The first bag delivered was split at a seam or glue weld, a replacement was sent right from BTD ahead of my return, so I had what I needed before Ragbrai. Excellent service and great product.
Review by quinncom
Lightweight, functional, indestructible bag fits a large frame (small frames too, if just a bit scrunched). The only downside is that monster zipper is difficult to open, but that's a kind of security feature.
Review by Willard10s
I want to love this frame pack, but this unfortunate update has a second defective product appearing. This time the velcro strip used to secure the top tube straps came lose end to end on Ragbrai. It still held together by means of the end straps. I am returning by warranty or possibly trying their othe 4 liter waterproof bag. BTD is normally pretty good about these situations and I assume they'll assist here as well.
Review by Al Bikes
Using this on my tour bike , and have found that it is more useful than I thought it could be. I had intended for this pack to carry my tire pump and tent poles, but quickly found it has enough room to carry a tube or two plus snacks for the day and maybe more, without losing room for my water bottles on the frame.